Ancient
by MidniteHearts
Summary: After Untamed. Zoey must find a way 2 defeat Kalona. And wat if Zoey isnt the only 1 with special powers? Wat if there was sum1 just like her? Wat if there was more 2 the prophecy than they knew. Wat if the 1 person 2 help Zoey knos the 5 elements also?
1. Tunnels

**MidniteHearts: Okay, this is my first attempt at writing a House of Night fanfic, and I hope that it's really good so that I can continue. And no I don't own the characters or the story plot of the House of Night series. All of that credit goes to P.C. and Kristin Cast. Keep up the great writing!**

Chapter 1: Tunnels

I couldn't believe it, I thought as all of my friends joined in the covering of our hands, telling me that they were all with me for coming up a plan to defeat Kalona. This is what my life had been reduced to. And if you want to know what I'm talking about, then let me explain. It all started when I first got Marked at SIHS and then sent to the House of Night in my town of Tulsa, Oklahoma. I met awesome people like Okie-fied Stevie Rae. Damien with his massive vocab brain, Shaunee and Erin who were the Twins (but not really twins because Shaunee is of Jamaican descent who's from Connecticut and Erin is a white girl straight from Oklahoma). Erik, my hot and sexy boyfriend (okay well ex-boyfriend, at least until we get things figured out). And of course there was Aphrodite, the hag we all love to hate.

But Aphrodite has grown on me. If it wasn't for her, then I would have never known how hateful Neferet really was.

Oh, yeah by the way, Neferet is the High Preistess and also my mentor (well okay as of right now she is no longer my mentor...ever!). Alright, anyway as soon as I'm a month within staying at the House of Night, my best friend, Stevie Rae dies and then becomes undead, Neferet is starting to show evil sides, I end up having to save my human ex-boyfriend from a pack of undead kids that were being led by Stevie Rae and controlled by Neferet (go figure!).

But that's only half of it. I soon became fixated on Loren our vampyre poet, and him and I Imprinted (breaking the Imprint I had with Heath. Forgot to mention that). Then I later discovered that Neferet was behind Loren Imprinting me which made it so Erik would catch us and dump me.

I also restored Stevie Rae's humanity, and found out that she had gone through a different sort of Change (she was now an adult vampyre) along with the other undead kids, who we now call "red fledglings" (but they weren't adult vampyres).

And now Aphrodite is human, but a special kind of human (whatever that means).

I confess to my friends of all the things I've done and they forgive me, and just recently my grandma informed me of an evil demon named Kalona that was buried in the earth. Of course, Neferet awakes him by making the earth bleed (aka attacking Stevie Rae) and has now declared herself Queen Tsi Sgili.

So now I'm running for my life in underground tunnels with a group of my closest friends. What could be more perfect?

Once we all released our hands and the cheering had died down, Shaunee pointed out, "Hey, Z, check out your hand!"

"Yeah, totally!" Erin chimed in.

As if I hadn't noticed that there would be a brand new mark, I looked at the palms of my hands anyway. They were the exact same tattooing that was on my face, shoulders, back and recently my waist.

"Your mark has been added to," Jack said.

I smiled. "Yeah, I guess it has."

I noticed that others had commented except for Erik. I sighed. He was still mad at me. I guess I thought that being in a dire situation would change his attitude toward me, but I suppose not.

Why was he being so difficult?

I heard coughing and immediately looked toward Stevie Rae. The arrow was still pierced through her chest. Darius cradled her in his strong arms. I had completely forgotten about that. I went to her, stroking her curly blond hair.

"Stevie Rae," I called out quietly.

She let out a few ragged breaths. "I'm alright, Zoey."

I fought to hold back hot tears that threatened to overcome me. "Are you sure?" I heard my voice breaking.

She nodded her head.

"Should we try and pull it out?" Erin asked.

Damien shook his head. "Bad idea. We don't know how far the arrow went. We could accidentally kill her."

I shuddered at the thought. Accidentally killing Stevie Rae was not an option for me.

"Then what she would do?" I asked.

Damien shrugged. "We'll just have to wait and see."

I frowned. I didn't want to wait and see if Stevie Rae's condition would worsen. I wanted to know if she would be alright.

"Okay," was all I said in the end.

I hadn't known that I was really tired until I released a sleepy yawn.

"I suppose you guys don't have a plush comforter from Macy's, would you?" Aphrodite asked.

The red fledglings only glared at her.

"Okay, fine," she said, giving up.

"But we are tired," I said, trying to stifle another yawn.

After casting a circle that would cleanse the entire school, and then having to use all five of the elements to escape once Kalona began to rise and then conceal a whole group of kids with the element spirit so that we wouldn't be detected by Neferet took a lot out of me.

"We do have a few pull out sofas," said one of the red fledglings who I didn't recognize.

I nodded. "Thanks."

Everyone huddled together to find a decent couch to sleep on. And if there weren't enough sofas, then there were plenty of chairs and mattresses. Nobody seemed to complain, even Aphrodite.

I slumped onto one of the dirty mattresses, fanning when a cloud of dust kicked up. I glanced around the dimly lit tunnels. Everyone were beginning to settle in. And that's when I saw him; Erik, all by himself. I wanted so badly to go over to him, apologize about everything I'd done, and pray that he would take me back.

I silently laughed to myself. Yeah right. Fat chance, Zoey.

I blew it with Erik when he caught me with Loren (who was now dead by the way).

I pulled my knees to my chest, my arms resting on top of them. I buried my face into my arms, trying my hardest not to cry. Why did it have to be this way? If I hadn't met Loren, then I would have never cheated, and Erik and I would still be together, even in these terrible situations.

I wiped at my eyes which were now soaking wet. I laid across the mattress, huddled in a fetal position and closing my eyes.

I would only think of positive dreams, just like Grandma would want me to. I would relieve myself of any evil thoughts and only concentrate on the voices of my Native American ancestors.

They would bring me good luck in these perilous times. Their eyes would always watch over and protect me.

**MidniteHearts: Okay, that was the first chapter so I hope you guys really like it. Please review and I will be sure to update as much as I can.**


	2. Cats

Chapter 2: Cats

I hadn't realize that I'd fallen asleep until I heard it. The small sound of _meowing_. I opened my eyes and looked around. Everyone was still asleep, even the cats. I suspected that it might be Nala, but her _meow_ was like an old cat coughing up a hairball, so it couldn't be her.

Then whose cat was it? Beelzebub? Malificent? No, she would be too busy getting her beauty sleep.

And then I heard it again. But this time it sounded softer, nothing like the first one. Slowly I stood up, glancing around the dim tunnels. It was probably just a stray cat, or maybe my imagination.

Just when I thought that theory was true, there was another _meow,_ and then another and another, until they were both joining in one after the other. They seemed to be getting louder and louder. That's when I had to cover my ears to block out the high noise.

When I couldn't take anymore they finally stopped.

The _meowing_ of the screeching cats were gone. I sighed, thankful that I could return to the irritating sounds of rats scurrying about and the dripping of water from cracked pipes. And then I felt it brush against my leg. I quickly jumped in fear.

What if it was one of those disease-ridden rodents?

"_Meow_"

Looking down, I saw that it was just a cat. But this cat was definitely out of place, because it was a lynx cat. What was an animal like that doing in a place like this; under the city. He brushed against my leg for a second time. I was enjoying his company when suddenly another lynx cat appeared.

Okay, what was going on? Two non-domestic cats underground? I picked one of them up, staring into its eyes.

"Who are you?" I asked.

It _meowed _at me again and I couldn't help but stare into its hypnotic golden eyes. It held my gaze as I held it's. I soon felt like I was in a trance and couldn't pull away. This strange cat had some sort of hold on me. My head became woozy and unclear. I looked deeper into its eyes and suddenly the golden hue disappeared.

"Zoey?"

I instantly dropped the cat and he scurried away with his friend. I turned to see Erik.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Um…nothing," I answered. And why should he care anyway? As if he really wanted to talk to me. Was this just some lame excuse to converse with me?

"You should get some sleep," he advised.

_And you should just go the hell away, Erik. As if you really want to speak to me. Stop wasting both of our time _is what I really wanted to say, but instead I settled on, "I'm not very tired."

"But--"

"I said I'm not tired."

He let out an exasperated sigh. "Okay, Zoey."

Once I felt like I was finally alone, I contemplated on what just recently happened. (Not the whole Erik thing, the cat thing). It had me totally hypnotized and I don't know how. Not to mention that it was completely out of place with the other domestic felines (along with Duchess).

And it was when I was staring into its dazzling eyes, that I couldn't look away. They were just so mesmerizing. What was that suppose to mean? Am I going crazy? Has this whole Kalona rising from the earth make me delusional? I hoped so, because what I just witnessed was too hard to explain. Who were those cats?

I pondered and pondered, and when I came to no absolute conclusion, I gave up. I slumped back on the mattress, resting my head against the walls of the tunnels. I thought about how my life was going to be from this point on. There were too many people who might be in danger because of me.

There was Heath and Grandma. Grandma. I wonder how she's doing. I hoped that her condition hadn't worsened. Sister Mary Angela must be taking very good care of her, seeing as how I hadn't gotten and bad vibes about her.

_Don't worry Grandma. I'll come for you soon_ I promised. And I made sure that was a promise I would forever keep.

**MidniteHearts: Sorry, I thought the first two chapters would be longer than this, but if I keep getting reviews, then I'll be sure to update. Plus all chapters will be longer so that you all may read to your heart's content.**


	3. The Girl with the Golden Marks

Chapter 3: The Girl with the Golden Marks

I was finally able to get back to sleep when I heard her sweet soothing voice. It was Nyx. Just like when I first got Marked and then hit my head on Grandma's lavender farm, I caught my first glimpse of the Goddess. Of course I was having an out-of-body experience, but still. And she was the most beautiful being there was. Her body was a shimmer of violet, and her voice was nothing like I'd heard before.

She had an incredible mother-like feeling towards me, and I instantly knew that she had something special planned for me. But never would I have guessed in a million years that I would have to go against two powerful people. How was I going to do this?

I can't do this. I'm not strong enough. I'm just not brave enough.

_Yes, you are, Zoey Redbird._

And then it happened. I had another out-of-body experience. I suddenly felt light as if I were nothing but air, and there was a tingling sensation running through me. I knew that I was flying and looked down to see where I was taking myself. The smell of saltwater rushed to me, and I could see sand and palm trees. I was at the beach. Well I could use a vacation (even if I just astral projected myself).

But this encountering with Nyx was so much different. Sure she would pick a serene place to converse, but there was no sign of her anywhere. That wasn't like her to just be a no-show.

"Nyx? Where are you?"

The voice giggled and suddenly she appeared, standing in the still water of the beach.

"_So we meet again, Zoey Redbird."_

I nodded my head. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was hoping and waiting that Nyx would appear to me. There was so much that I had to tell her; about Neferet, and Kalona rising, everything!

And I also needed her advice, her guidance to what I should do. I needed Nyx along with my friends to help me get through this. But then I thought better of it. My friends and I didn't have any experience with fighting evil. So how in the world were we going to battle Neferet and Kalona?

Sure, I had an affinity for all five of the elements, but was that enough? Yes, I will admit that I kicked some major fledgling butt when I had to rescue Heath, but that was it. For all I knew that was just pure luck.

I put aside my own dilemma to focus on the Goddess.

"Hello," I greeted, my voice sounding shaky.

_"What seems to be the problem, Zoeybird?"_

Instead of avoiding the question, I decided to go with nothing but the truth. There was no time to beat around the bush when the whole world was at stake.

"I don't know what to do, Goddess," I admitted.

_"This is a very crucial moment in your life, I understand. But you have to be my strong, my child."_

"I know that, but…I don't know how stay strong. Neferet is too powerful, even if I do hold the powers of all five elements. And now with--"

_"No more."_

She didn't yell at me, but did it in a stern voice.

_"__No more, Zoeybird. You are strong. I believe in you."_

I was silent for a long time, unsure of what to say. But the next words that came from my Goddess were ones that I never would have suspected as being true.

_"What if I told you that you are not the only special fledglings that has come to us in so many years? Zoeybird, do you believe that there is someone as equally unique as you?"_

I didn't know how to respond or where she was going with this so I said, "Yes."

Of course I would have answered on a positive note. The Goddess would never lie to her children and I wouldn't lie to her. After all I was special to her, but so was someone else.

_"You will require much needed assistance,"_ she continued to tell me.

"I know, so that's where my friends come in," I told her.

She only shook her head**. **_"I understand that, and they will need you greatly. But my dear Zoeybird, this calamity goes far beyond anything you have ever have to face. But rest assure because 'they' will lead you."_

I frowned. "They? Who's 'they'?"

And just as confused as Nyx wanted you to be, she ended our conversation by saying,_"In time you'll know. 'They' are crafty creatures and once you encounter the person I speak of, she'll know what to do. Together along with your friends, I am positive that you'll restore order to the world and our beloved House of Night."_

And just like that, Nyx was gone. My beautiful beach scene vanished as well. Everything around me seemed to be melting until there was nothing but darkness. And I was soon engulfed in the same thing. I woke with a start, sweat dripping from my forehead. Glancing around, I saw that everyone else was asleep. I sat up, pulling my knees to my chest.

What was I going to do?

I pondered silently until I heard it again; _meow._ It was that annoying cat once more. I looked off and saw it staring me. And I just knew that this cat was no ordinary feline, because if I hadn't known any better, I could swear that cat was gesturing toward me with its tail as if to follow it. Slowly getting up, I stood on my two feet.

"What are you doing?" I quietly wondered.

As if the cat could talk, it slipped around a corner. To know where it was going, I went after it. Maybe it belonged to a local zoo somewhere and once the world isn't in so much danger, I'll return it. Slowly I was tracking it. The strange animal led me deeper into the tunnels, farther than I had ever gone.

"This cat is gonna get me lost," I muttered.

And then suddenly it disappeared. Looking around, I saw no sight of it. I checked my own surroundings, and realized that I had no idea of where I was.

"Great."

There was little light from what the street lamps provided above. Pulling out my cell phone, I used that for more illuminating light.

"How do I get back?"

I began to wander the confusing tunnels, but everywhere I went, it only seemed like I was making myself even more lost. Damn that cat! The light from my cell phone was starting to weaken because my battery was dying.

"No, no, no! Please don't die!"

A few sputtering flicks and it was gone. _Damn!_ I thought. _Now what?_ I tried focusing my eyes as best as I could, but who was I kidding? I didn't have the night vision of a cat. I had to get back to my friends so that when everyone was al rested, we could devise a plan to stop Neferet. We couldn't fight evil in dank, dirty tunnels.

I leaned against a pipe and thought back to my odd dream. What was Nyz talking about? They will lead you? And who is this other person that has the same powers as me? There was a tinge of jealously in me. Someone else out there was as unique as myself. I thought that I was the only one who possessed an affinity for all five elements, but I guess not. I sighed. What am I going to do?

I gave the tunnels one more look around, until I saw it; a thin stream of light. Could that be my way back? I decided to take that chance and head for the mysterious light. I rounded the oncoming corner and couldn't believe what I saw; it was another girl. Her back was to me but she was wearing a red hooded cloak, and accompanying her were those two cats. I silently hid, observing her.

"So did you find her?" she asked.

The cats didn't say anything, but it seemed as if she understand them since she was nodding her head.

"I see," the girl went on. "She will need my help. She can't do this alone." The girl suddenly stood up, brushing at her cloak.

Slowly turning around, I tensed up and was in complete awe of her. Her hood dropped from her head. The girl's hair was lavender and it went well with her bright blue eyes. Her skin was so pale that it seemed almost translucent. But the one thing that surprised me the most were markings. Instead of the usual sapphire; they were a heavenly gold, framing her eyes and cheeks and even traveling down the sides of her neck, dipping into the center of her chest. Her Mark was gold as well and completely filled in.

I was so entranced by her, that I hadn't realized what she said to me.

And those words were, "Hello, Zoey Redbird."


End file.
